How to Fall Madly in Love with Yourself and Your Photos
Updated: Nov 4
Stop hating your photos. Explore who you are, and who you might be, with self-portrait photography. Photographer Lisa Haukom shares how in the Self Portrait Method™, empowering you with the skills to take your own professional photos and love every frame.
The Concept: What is the Self-Portrait Method™?
The Self Portrait Method™ is the practice of science meets a system of self trust and self efficacy, to shift your perception of what is beautiful, what is lovable, and what is you, through the camera lens.
Does this sound like you? You hate how you look in photos, you avoid the camera and liberally delete images or snap filtered selfies feeling a little worse each time you post. When someone yells "group photo", you hide yourself in the back of the picture. Or perhaps you mimic what you see others doing on Instagram and TikTok, desperate to just be your authentic self and feel good about it. What if you could reach a place where you felt excited and deeply trusted that whatever happens in the frame, your photo will be something you love?
The Self Portrait Method is the only course with an answer to the question of why you don't like your photos, and it as noting to do with how photogenic you are. We put the power of anchoring and the power of visuals together to reveal what is secret, obscured, and until now - unseen in you and by you. When you use this method, you are bring forward a tangible version of yourself, a version you've not experienced before.
Healing Your Self Image
The Self Portrait Studio started with me. This was a project I did on my own in an effort to feel connected to the woman I saw in photos. I was tired of feeling incomplete, like I didn't quite belong anywhere, defined by everyone but myself; mother, sister, wife, friend. I spent my whole life people pleasing, walking on eggshells, putting others needs above my own. It became so ingrained in me to reflexively put others first that when I did finally try asking myself, What do I want? What do I like? The answer was...silence.
I was half way through my life and had no idea who I was. I didn't recognize myself in mirror and I couldn't post a photo without using FaceTune or wearing some weird facial expression in an attempt to control my image.
"When I look at myself I see so much love, light, passion, and beauty radiating from the inside out. More so at this point in my life than any other. These are the parts I put into family, my art, relationships, and home. Having the opportunity to express a whole, acccepted, and loved version of myself through the Self Portrait Method is a gift I am beyond grateful for. I actually consider it a miracle when I look back at how far I've come. If you are interested in seeing yourself fin a different way, exactly as you are - don't wait.."
— Michel VanDevender
Self acceptance and self love doesn't come easily in this world we live on. It is indeed a rebellious act. All of the marketing, messaging and judgement around how you're supposed to look, what you're supposed to do, how you're supposed to act, and who you are supposed to be. It's all such an enormous lie we are being told. Recognizing and questioning the impact these messages have on how we view ourselves and the choices we make is an ongoing, intentional practice.
Face the camera and face yourself.
It started out a little lonely, in my bedroom, with a tripod and a camera. At first I didn’t tell my family what I was doing. I felt so ashamed and fearful of being judged by them, by you, but mostly myself. Sitting with myself in this way felt so exposed, vulnerable. I wasn't taking these pictures for anyone else, they were for myself. As the month progressed, I felt less resistance to the photos of myself and less critical of my own image. Not the version for everyone else, daughter, wife, mother, sister, friend. Just me. Just Lisa. Now I have the privilege and joy of watching so many bloom and grow through their self portrait journeys.
"The Self Portrait Method is changing my life. I’ve suffered from body image issues and disordered eating since my teenage years. A bad selfie or picture can ruin my day. This has been a challenge as I grow my business–we all know how many headshots and pics we need for features or to engage our audience.I feel so much better about photos. It gave me new perspective. If I had to choose one word, it would be empowering. "
-Sarah Loughry
Who is the Self-Portrait Method™ for?
Everyone and anyone who has felt their light is being dimmed, afraid to shine, fearful of being seen. Someone who fears the camera and hates their photos and who may not be aware of all the ways this block is holding them back in life, business, and relationships. How this fear and dislike is manifesting every day as feelings of fear, deep rooted sense of unworthiness, limiting their self confidence, visibility, quality of life, not allowing them to be fully present with their children and for important days like your wedding day, family photos, or that big meeting. Consider the Self Portrait Method your new self care practice, bringing you into presence with yourself, your image, and your journey of self discovery and healing, through the camera lens.
The Self Portrait Method is here to help find perspective and ease in front of the camera so you can connect with your image and ultimately, yourself. Through accountability, coaching, and community, you will use self portraiture to remember your inherent worth and see yourself the way we do: Beautiful, genuine, and enough.
"Speaking of being lit up by life… I am an artist, mom of boys, wife with a 25th anniversary approaching, and 52 years young. When I first began my professional art business five years ago, I was petrified of showing any photo of me. I hid for days after posting that first photo of me. Then I realized I received more engagement when I included images with me and when I was seen and spoke authentically. I’m now embracing this part of my business and my goal is to now do so with more confidence and ease, less stress and mean girl self-criticism, appreciating the beauty I have inside and outside today and tomorrow’s todays. I want my brand images to reflect my creativity, multiple passionate, confidence and the joy that my art and my life gives to me." - Michel VanDevender
What is inside the Self-Portrait Method™ Digital Photography Course?
📷 Here's how we work that magic.
The Self Portrait Course will show you how to:
Have high quality images of yourself without worrying about hiring a photographer every time you need photos
Learn how to take selfie portraits that you love, every single time
Achieve complete creative control of and confidence in your own image
Feel more genuine and have more fun in front of the camera
Find a confidence boost in posing
Identify your best angles and find incredible light
Forge a deeper sense of self-connection and self-trust
Craft a self portrait shoot from mood board to selecting perfect self portrait clothes to post-processing
Overcome the discomfort of being camera shy
Inside the course
5 Video Modules + BONUS resources
Ability to join the Self Portrait Studio Membership for our popular 8-Week Self portrait Photography Challenge!
You'll learn
Why you should switch from selfies to self portraits
How to develop your style (and your beautiful brand!)
The truth about why you don't like your photo.
How to take beautiful photos - with your camera phone!
We cover gear, lighting, posing, what to wear
+Editing technique to polish your portraits.
You'll need
The camera in your pocket - iPhone or other, any model will do!
No photography experience necessary
Photos are Just the Beginning of the Self-Portrait Method™ Course's Magic.
Self-portraits are an excellent way to evolve your self perception and trust me when I say that the post self portrait session glow is very real. Each time I wrap a session and sit down to look at the photos, I see myself in an entirely new way, with both increased compassion and satisfaction. It brings me so much joy to carve out this time for myself and bring a creative story to life through photography.
A visual benchmark.
Self portraits are a fantastic visual benchmark of your progress. A quick flip through previous sessions will show how much you have evolved creatively in a short period of time. We always cap off our 8-week challenges by revisiting the first prompt in the series. Members continue to be astounded by the quick evolution of their personal editing, confidence, and style in that short period of time.
Creative ideas are flowing.
Self Portraits are an opportunity to get comfortable in front of the lens and explore my creativity in ways I hadn't before. It is so freeing to create on your own schedule with no expectations or money from clients on the line. You can take as long as you want, shoot whatever you'd like, and experiment with new ideas daily.
There is no one to impress but yourself.
SPS members are encouraged to share images they feel are unsuccessful along with the ones they feel most proud of. Both offer an opportunity to expand our perception of what a successful image needs to look like. We learn why we prefer certain images over others and that success doesn't mean perfect. When the only restriction is that you must be in the photo, you can do whatever you like and it doesn't need to be perfect.
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